Now
VIOLET
I ate some avocado toast with a fried egg on top of it for breakfast. The fuel is energizing my mind and my body. I feel more awake than I did before I ate.
Sage was still in her room when I woke up. She’s sitting at the kitchen table and working on her computer. She’s always on her computer.
I slap my hands down on the table to get her attention. “What are you working on?”
She doesn’t look up from her computer screen. “A project for one of my graphic design classes.”
“Can I see it?”
“Alright, but it’s not finished yet.” She turns her computer around to face me.
It’s a collage full of images, words, and colors. It’s all aesthetically pleasing, and I can feel Sage’s personality seeping throughout the entire collage. Next to the collage in a different window is a website mockup.
Her mockup draft design is modern and cohesive. Bold fonts are paired with delicate ones.
She’s so talented.
“This is amazing, Sage. Have you shown this to Dani and Bella?”
“No, I haven’t. Why?”
“Why not?”
“Graphic design and web design have always been my thing. I don’t love sharing this stuff with people.”
“I get that. At first, I didn’t love the idea of sharing my content creation online, but that changed when people engaged with it. I have my own little community now because of it.”
“And that works for you. I don’t love the idea of sharing my work online right now. All I want is to get as much out of the design program I’m in here at SCU and use what I learn for my business.”
I nod. “You’re so talented. Your work belongs on the screens of other people who love graphic design and web design, not just yours. Whenever you’re ready.”
“I don’t think I’ll ever be ready for that.”
“Never say never.”
Her chest slowly rises and lowers itself as she gets back into work mode.
This is the first time Sage has shown me something she’s been working on. She’s very protective of her projects, which I highly respect. I know she doesn’t like receiving compliments, so that could be one of the reasons why she’s never shown me her stuff.
“Is this your plan for the day?”
“Yes. The collage is due on Monday, and the mockup is due on Tuesday. I’m running out of time, so stop distracting me.”
“Sorry.”
Uh-oh. That reminds me of something.
I need to finish my marketing plan for my business.
The assignment is due on Monday. Our professor wants us to come up with a solid and successful marketing plan for a real or fake business.
I chose to do the business I want to start post-grad, a PR/Personal Assistant business for self-published authors.
It’s the same business I told Grayson about.
I don’t have a lot left to do for the assignment, but I want to try and finish it, so I don’t have to worry about it tomorrow.
I run into my bedroom, lifting the lid to my laptop and start typing away.
I can do this. Grayson won’t be here for another couple of hours.
An hour passes by, and I can’t believe I finished it. Not only did I finish it, but my marketing plan is concise and detailed. I followed all the rules the professor laid out for us. I’m crossing my fingers that I get an A on this assignment when I hand it in on Monday.
In the meantime, I’ll be hanging out in here until it’s time for me to be picked up.
I can’t fully articulate how I feel about the fact that I’m going to visit Dana today.
I’m surprised she’s asked Grayson about me.
Like I told him, I thought she’d hate me for what I did.
I was convinced she’d want nothing to do with me, but I was wrong.
And I’m glad I was wrong because I love Grayson’s mom so much.
She’s always been so supportive, and she believed in me when my own mother didn’t.
My phone rings, and I know who it is right away because of the ringtone. It’s a Weezer song that reminds me of Grayson.
Picking up the phone, I press it against my ear. “Hi.”
“Are you dressed?”
“Yeah. What’s up?”
“I’m getting ready to leave. I’ll call you when I get to your place. Okay, Vi?”
“Okay, Gray.”
“I’ll see you soon.”
“Bye.”
“Bye,” he says.
As I hang up the phone, I realize how close I was to saying I love you to him. We’d always say that when we would hang up on a phone call or FaceTime. I’m so happy I caught myself when I did because I’d be in quite the pickle if I let it slip out.
Getting up from my office chair, I put on a pair of running shoes with white ankle socks. I figured it would go well with the pink tank top and ripped jean shorts I’m wearing. I decide to put my hair into a low ponytail because it’s too hot to keep my hair down.
This past summer in Sunset Cove was brutal. It was in the late 80s and low to mid 90s almost every single day.
I’m bringing a light jacket with me in case it’s cold wherever we end up going.
Ugh, my brain is all over the place.
Okay, I need to get my purse and my keys for the apartment. I don’t need to bring my car keys since I’m not driving.
Before I know it, my phone rings. I see the caller ID come up with Grayson’s name. Again, not a surprise because of the Weezer song I chose for his ringtone.
“I’m here. Is it okay if I come upstairs?” he asks, his tone going up an octave.
“Sure.”
“Cool, I’ll be there in a sec.”
“Okay.” I hang up the phone and rush into the living room.
Sage notices my nerves kicking into high gear in the form of my foot tapping on the hardwood floor. “Violet, it’s going to be okay. This dude isn’t a stranger. He’s far from it, actually.”
“I know. I think I’m more nervous about seeing his mom after all these years.”
“That’s understandable, but you should focus your energy on something else. It’s not the end of the world.”
“Wow, that’s rich coming from you.”
“Shut up. Seriously, you’re going to be fine.”
I hear a knock at the door and walk over to it, looking into the peephole. Grayson is standing there in a navy blue baseball cap with his jersey number on the front.
If he turns his hat backwards at any point today, I’m going to be in so much trouble.
When I open the door, I’m blinded by Grayson’s smile.
“Hi, Sage,” he says, leaning his head to the side, so he can see her.
“Yeah, yeah.” Sage waves her hand in the air.
Grayson lowers his eyebrows. “What’s her deal?”
“She has two assignments due soon, so she’s been glued to her computer.”
“Ah, I see. Are you ready to go? If we leave now, we should get to Sunset Cove around 2 p.m.”
“Yeah, I’m ready.”
“Bye-bye now,” Sage says.
“Bye.” I wave to her, but she doesn’t wave back.
Grayson steps back, allowing me to come out of the apartment and close the door.
“Let’s hit the road,” I say to him.
When we make it to his truck, he helps me inside because it’s too tall for someone my height. As I situate myself in my seat, I look at him. “Thank you.”
“What have I told you about thanking me for the bare minimum?” He delicately scolds me.
“I know, but I like thanking you. I think it’s a nice thing to do, even if you’re doing the bare minimum.”
He shakes his head, rolling his eyes and letting out a silent laugh. After he hops into the truck and fastens his seatbelt, he starts the engine.
Ugh, I hope this all goes well.
The drive from my apartment complex to Sunset Cove took approximately a half an hour. We have picture-perfect views of the ocean as we pass by Lighthouse Estates, the neighborhood I grew up in. There are scattered palm trees that line the sides of the road.
I try my best to avoid driving around this area to get to work because it reminds me of one of the most painful and traumatic experiences I’ve ever had to go through. I don’t need to reopen those wounds that took forever to heal.
“Are you okay?” he asks, bringing me back to reality.
I could lie and tell him I’m fine, but he knows me too well. I’m simply going to tell him the truth.
“It’s hard being back in this part of town. I try to avoid it whenever I come here for work.”
His Adam’s apple slightly bounces up and goes back down to its original spot. “I do the same thing, but sometimes it’s unavoidable.”
“Yeah,” I say.
“Where do you see yourself living post-grad?”
The sudden subject change gives me metaphorical whiplash. “Uh…I thought I’d come back here, but now, I’m not so sure. How about you?”
“I have the same thought process as you, but after everything that happened here, I don’t want to come back. I need a change of scenery, but who knows? Maybe I might not move at all.”
“A change of scenery would be nice.”
“If you moved out of Sunset Cove, would you still work at Sweet & Salty?”
“I would commute an hour back and forth if I had to. That place is a second home to me.”
“Why a second home?”
Because you’re my first home.
Looking out the windshield, I see a sign for the shelter. “We’re here!”
I could never tell him all of these thoughts that have been spreading like wildfire inside my head because I don’t want to ruin what we have currently going on between us.
After we both get cleared by security and find a parking spot, we both get out of the truck. I follow Grayson into one of the buildings straight ahead of us. He opens the door, letting me go inside first.
The plot of land is surrounded by lush greenery and colorful flowers. The buildings are coated in a shade similar to the color of sand with flat roofs.
He walks straight up to the woman with brunette hair sitting at the front desk. “Hi, Jen.”
“Hi, Grayson.” Her hazel eyes land on me. “Who’s this?”
“This is my friend, Violet.”
Hearing the love of my life call me his friend is like a punch to the gut, but I’m the one who said we should only be friends and nothing more. I should be blaming myself for that heart-wrenching blow.
“Nice to meet you, Violet. Can I see your ID please?”
“Nice to meet you, too.” Taking out my wallet from my purse, I remove my driver’s license from the slot with the clear piece of plastic protecting it.
I hand it to Jen, and she gently grabs it from me. She gives it back to me in a span of a couple minutes.
“I can take you guys to see Dana now.” She gets up from her chair with Grayson following her outside.
I follow closely behind.
I can’t stop my mouth from jittering. I haven’t seen Dana in such a long time, so I’m crossing my fingers that this goes well. I know I’m overthinking the hell out of this, but I can’t help it. Overthinking is a part of my DNA.
As I observe our surroundings, I notice the shelter is set up similar to an apartment complex. There are multiple buildings with two stories and parking spots in front of each of the buildings.
I give Grayson and Jen some space to talk about his mom and how she’s doing. I don’t like inserting myself into other people’s business, especially when it doesn’t involve me.
When we get to Dana’s apartment on the first floor, Jen knocks on the door. “Hey Dana, it’s Jen. I have some visitors here to see you.”
Dana says through the door. “Visitors?” She swings the door open, her face lighting up as her eyes land on me. “Violet, is that you?”
“If you need me, you know how to reach me.” Jen walks away from us, heading back towards the main office.
“Hi, Dana,” I say.
“Is it okay if I hug you?” she asks, sniffling.
“Yeah, of course.”
She rushes over to me, embracing me tightly. I can’t help but let some tears fall out of my eyes because this is such an emotional moment for me. I know it is for her, too.
Dana lightly hits Grayson on his upper arm.
“Hey! What was that for?” he asks, his mouth slightly dropping open.
“Why didn’t you tell me you were bringing Violet with you?”
“We wanted it to be a surprise,” he says.
“Well, I’m definitely surprised. How did you two reconnect?” She looks back and forth between Grayson and I.
“Violet surprised me after practice about a week or so ago.”
“Let’s just say it didn’t go too well, but things are better now,” I add.
“Every time Grayson visits me, all he talks about is you,” Dana blurts out.
Grayson corrects her. “No, all you talk about is Violet when I’m here.”
Dana’s apartment is warm and cozy with soft browns on the walls, and the furniture is in autumnal colors. There are scattered blankets on the sofa and plush chairs.
We sit down at the kitchen table. I sit across from Grayson, while his mom sits at the head of the table.
“Bullshit! You always talked about how you wished you could talk to her. You wondered what she was up to and how she was doing.”
Grayson grunts. “Whatever, so did you!”
“Okay, moving on.” She turns to me. “It’s been a long time, kid. What have you been up to?”
“Well, I got promoted to assistant manager at Sweet & Salty.”
“Atta girl. One day, you’re going to run that entire store. I’m very proud of you.”
“Thank you. School has kept me busy. I’m a marketing major, and I’m working on getting my minor in entrepreneurship.”
“Holy crap, girl! You never cease to amaze me. I wish I had your drive and determination when I was your age. Do you have a plan of what you want to do after you graduate?”
“I’m in the baby stages of starting my own PR and content creation business for authors. Noah is my first ever client, and he pushed me to chase my dream. I’m grateful to him for that.”
“Good for you. I remember you used to take pictures of your books and post them online.”
“Yeah, I don’t have a lot of time to do that anymore because of work and school, but I try to post when I can. I can’t believe you remember that.”
Out of the corner of my eye, I notice Grayson is staring at me with his dark brown eyes. It’s causing my heart to beat extremely fast.
Am I sweating? It feels like I’m sweating everywhere.
“My son thinks I can’t remember anything, but he’s wrong. I remember a lot of things.”
“What the hell are you talking about? I’ve never said that.” His tone is stern.
“You know how much I love to push your buttons.” She plants a kiss on his forehead.
“Jen told me you’re getting out more these past several months. That’s good,” he says.
“Yeah, I know you both told me to explore what the world outside of my home sweet home has to offer, so I’m finally listening. I’ve been going to the grocery store, eating out at restaurants, and for other random things.”
“Keep it up. I’m proud of you.”
“I’m proud of you, too.”
I lean closer to Grayson. “Did you tell her?”
He leans closer to me. “Tell her what?”